There is still surviving film of this fight and it was a war. I dont know if anyone has seen the clips of it. A Classic pier six slugfest with drama and a shocking ending. I have never heard it mentioned on this forum when talking great fights. I dont know if it was at welter or maybe 140 and I believe it was their 1st encounter not sure? they might have gone at it twice. I recommend viewing it if you ever get a chance. A great fight that is never mentioned here at ESB, any one else ever see it?
I have fights 1 and 2. Marciano comments on fight 1. They were both for the welterweight title. Tony Demarco was the champ in the first fight, and Basilio is defended the crown in the 2nd.
Those were indeed two great fights, you don`t see that kind of action today in the welterweight division anymore for the most part. To bad neither of them are around today, they would definately put some life back in the welterweight division. If you want to see a really great fight try and track down the highlights of the first Tony DeMarco/Virgil Akins fight, I`ve got the last 6 rounds of it and let me tell you folks that fight was a WAR! Tony was as brave as they come and he fought back furiously until finally subdued and taken out in the 14th.
Carmen Basilio and Tony DeMarco fought two of the best title fights in welterweight history. I remember DeMarco nailing Basilio in the seventh or eighth round of the second fight and Carmen's legs were wobbling all over the place. But he wouldn't let himself be knocked down and as far as I know he never was down until Paul Pender did it to him in his last professional fight which he lost by a 15 rd. decision. Carmen and Tony were class acts in and out of the ring. I read when DeMarco's son died and Basilio heard about it he traveled from Syracuse to Boston to be with Tony and his family. I have heard that the DeMarco-Akins fights were pretty rugged affairs. I hope sometime to get a chance to see them.
